Mixer



March 10, 1936. W, H, STR|EF 2,933,453

MIXER Filed Feb. 11, 1955 Hagi ATTORNEYS,

Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

i Paint, as it comes from the can, is seldom of the exact shade or tintdesired by the user either for purposes of matching the shade or tint ofexisting paint adjacent to which or over which the fresh paint is to beapplied, or from the stand point of the purely aesthetic or matter ofchoice purposes.

To change Ythe shade or tint of the stock paint is a test demandingpatience and a degree of skill seldom observed in the finished results.This is because of the usual use of a shading or tinting medium in theform of a pigment of semi-solid or paste-like body which is applied tothe stock paintin small masses and gradually incorporated therein bypainstaking stirring with a paddle, stick or spatula until the presenceof the pigmented paste is no longer detectable in the vehicle of thestock paint.

An appreciable loss is usually experienced in the use of such pigmentpastes because of insufiicient incorporation, and the paint so treatedis frequently found to contain smaller lumps of pigment paste which arecarried by the brush to the surface to receive the paint, therebyleading to streaking of the surface being painted and in this mannerrequiring much unnecessary work and expenditure of valuable time inbrush Work to obtain satisfactory smoothness of results.

An object of my invention is to produce a simple, effective device bymeans of which pigmented pastes may be handled in a manner such thatthorough incorporation of these pigments is assured, with no lossesthereof, and in a manner which obtains perfect results with a minimum oftime expenditure.

A further object is to produce such-a device as will accomplish theresults desired and then function most effectively in the removal ofoxidized surface skins and other foreign matter from the paint, with theutmost simplicity of cleaning of the device after it has been placed tosuch uses.

My improved device also has features associated therewith which renderit most valuable in such uses as the mixing and thorough incorporationof avoring materials, the dissolving of salts, gums and a number ofkindred purposes. Therefore, in describing my invention as a deviceapplied to the shading or tinting of paint, it is to be understood thatthis use is but exemplary of the purposes for which the device has beendesigned.

These and other objects are attained in the mixer described in thefollowing specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View of the mixer embodying my invention, thehandle being shown in elevation and a part being shown in dotted 5 linesfor purposes which will be described.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental view of the cover in one position the purposes ofwhich will be described.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing l0 the cover in anotherposition, the purposes Yof which will also be described. .1

In my improved mixer I provide a handle II which is equipped with a stemI2 of suicient length to enable the mixer to be used in the l5 averagepaint container of from one to five gallon capacity, with a foraminousbody I3 mounted on the lower end of the handle stem, a lid or cover I4being located on the stem, and a series of `agitators I5 being locatedwithin the 20 body and also on the stem, the function of which agitatorswill be set forth as the description continues. These agitatorspreferably are secured to the stem rigidly, the reason for which will bemade apparent herein. The mixer shell 25 or body I3 is shown in sectionandv no attempt is made to show the multitude of perforations whichexist all over the surface thereof, since this would but confuse anddefeat the purpose of the disclosure. The body I3 preferably is 30 maderigid with the stem I2 in any suitable manner, as by a pin through thestem at I6, washers I1, and a nut I8. Just beneath the handle II I haveprovided a pin I9 in the stem I2 to afford a support for the lid I4 whenit is 35 lifted from the body to permit of its being filled or cleanedof oxidized vehicle skins or foreign matter. This lid cr cover, which isalso perforated throughout, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, has a slottherein of substantial keyhole shape, 40 as shown at 20, so that thecover may be lifted toward the handle to pass it beyond the pin, asshown in Fig. 2, after which the cover is given a partial rotation tobring it out of hole and pin registration, as shown in Fig. 3, in 45which latter position the cover will be supported by the pin, as shownin dottedlines in Fig. 1. The cover may have an annular wall 2i which isprovided with a ange 22, the wall 2| fitting the body snugly while theflange 22 50 limits the inward movement of the cover after the body I3is filled.

To use the device, assuming that the paint to be used is not of theproper shade or tint, the pigmented paste with which it is intended 55to alter the color of the paint, is placed in the mixer body, an amountbeing used which is judged by the amount of paint to be treated. Withthis preparation made this material is lowered into the bucket of paintand the mixer is given one or the other or both of two movementspreferably. The mixer may be given a twirling motion in the paint, or itmay be given an up and down movement therein, while it may not be diculttoi combine the two movements or even to move the mixer from side toside of the paint container. The action of such a movement is tocreate acirculation of the paint through the openings of the body and lid,thereby bringing it into contact with the paste of the color to beimparted to the paint. At the same time the agitators function to bringabout a beating of the paint in the presence of the paste, therebybringing about a dissolution of the paste and a rapid, thorough anduniform incorporation thereof with the paint. The agitators I5 beingfixed to the stem I2 and located at right angles to each other, as shownin Fig. l, produce an ideal admixture.

In cleaning the mixer it is but necessary to place the mixer in thepaint brush cleaner and, with the same movements given itin the tintingor shading operation, thereby obtain the desired results. The lid may belifted to dotted line position and the skin and foreign matter thrownaway, all paste having been washed therefrom so that this waste materialis not messy in the act of disposing of it.

As has been stated, the mixer I have shown and described above is notlimitedy to paint tinting and shading, but may be used in any way inwhich the functions thereof are substantially the same as have beendescribed in its use with paint. For this reason I desire it to beunderstood that my improved mixer, as set forth in the appended claimsdepends for its novelty only upon a structure in which any use to whichit may be placed is within the intended scope of the invention.

Elaborating upon the preferred manner of use of the mixer I havedescribed, I find that the round handle Il is especially adapted toplacing the handle between the palms of the outspread hands and, bygiving the hands a back and forth motion in opposite directions re1-atively to each other, thereby to create a twirling rotation of themixer while it occupies the paint or other fluid contents of thecontainer.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

A mixer comprising a perforate body having an open upper end, agitatorblades, a perforate cover to close the upper end of the body, a handleattached to the bottom of the body rigidly and extending upwardlythrough and above the open end thereof an appreciable distance, wherebysaid mixer may be used in containers of proportions permitting bodymotions of substantial curvilinear and rectilinear components therein,an agitator rigidly mounted on the handle within the body and consistingof opposed blades co-operating to impart a substantial curvilinearmotion to container contents within the body upon body movement in thecontainer, said handle mounting the cover for movement thereon to closeand open the body, and means on the handle above the body for supportingsaid cover thereon in opened position relatively to the body forpurposes of lling the body.

WILLIS H. S'I'RIEF.

